Wattles 18s coach keen for new TRL season

Grant Lollback is the new Wattles under-18 coach for the 2017 Toowoomba Rugby League season and talks about his hopes.

I ENJOY working with the young blokes and the aim is to have a competitive side and make the top five.

This is my first senior rugby league coaching role but I have helped out with the A-grade in the past four years.

I have coached junior rugby league and touch, but the U18s is a new challenge. I have coached two Queensland side in touch rugby to State of Origin wins and the Australian 15 years team on a tour of Fiji.

The principles of coaching are largely the same with touch and rugby league, you need similar ball skills for both games. Co-trainer Ryan Duggan will be my defensive specialist for the U18s.

We start pre-season training on January 17 at Platz Oval, Clifton at 6.30pm, and current and new players welcome.

I think we have 10 players from last year who will still be in U18s this season and there are eight to come up from the Wattles U16s. We won't have a huge side size wise, but I can guarantee they will have plenty of heart.

I am big on fitness as I want them still to be running well at the back end of the season.

Thomas Duggan is out for the season with a knee injury so is team manager. Some of the senior players in the club will help out.